


A Makeshift Gala

by KynastonViloet



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Birthday, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-17
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-11-15 02:09:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11221089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KynastonViloet/pseuds/KynastonViloet
Summary: On a very usual day to him, some special friends try to make it something a little more, and maybe even make moments to be remembered.Happy Birthday to Marco Bott! 6/16





	A Makeshift Gala

"Hey, there you are!"

He heard the voice across the field, but it wasn't one that he recognized was speaking to him.

With a content curve to his lips, he continued onward, more excited than anything to get out of these boots and straps after a long, gruelling day.

The day had been almost normal. Woke up, ate, spoke on and off with a few people, but nothing special.

He wasn't hurt by that, not at all. He didn't want today to be anything but normal.

He was in the military, after all, he shouldn't be expecting anything else.

Marco listened to his own thoughts and voice simply, on his journey back to his room.

"Hey!" The voice called again, but he still didn't know anyone too well enough to know their voices by heart.

He glanced behind him briefly, with a glisten of shock in his hazel eyes to see two bouncing forms approaching.

Looking over his shoulder, he turned fully and waved. "Ah, Armin, Eren?"

He chuckled, and a boy with a head of soft, gold hair, framed around a perky form and wide, wonderous blue eyes.

He had a slight grin, one that seemed sure and smart, it was a fitting emotion for their little tactical braniac, Armin.

"Armin! Do you need something?"

Marco chuckled briefly, and brushed a hand through the lack of hair on the back of his head, a soft undercut.

"Yeah, we have been looking for you!"

Having to work a little harder to catch up, behind for whatever reason, anotherwas quickly just beside the blonde boy was one with shaggier locks.

His hair was a sharp chocolate shade, but not quite as harsh as his bright eyes, greenish in shade.

Ever since meeting Eren, his expression was always so clear on his face. His thick brows would crease and twist his entire face, he looked much different than the angry boy at training.

"We couldn't catch you during training," Armin chimed in, holding his hands to his chest, crossed.

"You should've come and talked to us after we were all dismissed, I thought that you noticed us beckoning you."

Eren was looking a tad ticked, but when wasn't he? The thought and care could be seen in his actions, and it might've made Marco flush a little to be cared for so.

Marco could barely make out that his smaller, smarter friend held something, until he looked a little closer.

Eren caught his eyes and where they looked, and he held a toothy grin, looking about to bounce on his heels.

"Curious?"

"Well.." Marco chuckled, "Yeah, actually.." His eyes switched between the two other pairs, and his cheeks held a smile even still. To just talk, and be noticed, was pretty nice.

The 104 had some really nice people in it.. He was happy to be a part of it.

"It's for you!" Armin hummed, just as Eren opened his mouth to speak, stealing the brunette's thunder right away.

The blonde smiled in a curt way, and held a rectangular wrapping by the sides, thrusting it out forward towards Marco's chest.

He hummed, biting the inside of his freckled cheek in curioisty. "What's this about..?"

He took it, brushing his calloused fingertips over the front gently, admiring a fine wrap job. It was a thin layer of brown cloth tied tightly and nicely together with a small and red ribbon, binding around a hard rectangle.

Marco glanced up, his eyes softening to a more gentle expression. "No, you didn't.. You guys!"

Armin and Eren both grinned cheekily, sharing the same expression.  "We did!"

"But.. you didn't have to get me anything..! And we all only have so much, too.. Why do this?"

"You can't hide from us, Marco, a little bird told us that a certain day was coming up!" Armin chirped like said bird, and Eren reached over to pat on Marco's shoulder.

"Happy birthday, Marco..! ..Hey, open it! I'm getting nervous, don't leave us standing here." Eren gleefully smiled.

Marco took just another moment to brush across the smooth cover, until finding the magical place in the ribbon where after being pulled, the entire wrapping slowly fell apart.

In his hands, after brushing the cloth fully away, Marco held a small book. He blinked, gazing over a cover, even if it had a black cover, with a few words, golden words, embroidered into the first page beautifully.

Sadly.. Beautifully golden words; that he couldnt read.

Was he supposed to.. read? From this? He didn't know how to read.

Looking over at the two of them, he saw their grinning, happy faces, wondering to himself that they had clearly worked so hard to get him this. He knew that already - they all had so little in the military.

It was a moment or so before Armin gave a gesture of his hand, and an excited edge onward, "Aren't you going to open it?"

Marco quickly returned his hopes to the book yet, unsure of what to expect as he pulled back the cover of the book.

It clicked, but only partially, as he was met with an off-white page, completely blank, except for some splotches and blurs of different stains. It looked messy, to say the least.

Turning another few pages eagerly, he noted that it was all of the pages, every single one of them, blank.

"A blank book?" He asked under his breath, his eyes glued on every page.

"How do you like it?" Armin asked, buoyant.

"I.." Marco glanced back up, and even if his smile had faltered in confusion he grinned widely, and it was almost impossible to tell it was a tad forced.

"I love it, a lot! It is.." He brushed his fingers over the book's slightly unraveled binding. "It is beautiful."

"We spent a lot of time making it." Eren quickly, and pridefully was sure to mention.

Marco blinked, looking down at it. "Making?"

The blonde caught Marco's gaze, and looked over the book himself, "Yes, making..! I mean.. we didn't make the book itself, but.. Well, we did work hard on it, anyway..!"

"We spent almost every night for the past week, we painted over all the pages, and made it useable again."

Eren watched Marco's expression, as there was still some curiosity, unsurity.

Marco looked back up, with a caring crease of his black brows.

In a fluster, Armin dug into one of the pockets at his front of his jacket, pulling out the thing which was so awkwardly stuffed in there, brushing it before shoving it into his freckled friend's hand.

"We spent lots of time making one, for you to use,"

Marco's hazel eyes lit up some to the small, burnt piece he held in his hand, staining his hands a black color. "Really, you have been?" He gasped out, blinking, trying to decipher it all.

"Yeah, we have been!" Eren was proud of himself, it was a child-like excitement that made Marco smile, almost as much as the gift itself.

"It's charcoal, you can use it to mark the page." Armin taught, wiping a little bit of the black from it that smeared into his hands, onto his shirt.

"Oh..!"

"So.. we're expecting you to fill this book up, now, you see? Every night or, every week, whatever you'd like to do.."

"It's yours, now, Marco. Enjoy it." Eren smirked.

"I am supposed to mark it all..? But.. I do not know how to read, or write, really. Am I supposed to..?"

"No, no you don't have to!" Armin laughed, and suddenly realized the other's concern.

"What am I supposed to do with it, may I.. ask?"

"You can make whatever you want in it." Eren explained very simply. "Draw.. whatever you want! It is all yours, from now on."

Marco nodded, and grinned a slight bit more, thoughts already coming to mind.

Even if he wasn't completely sure what he was going to do with it, it was a really thoughtful, and sweet gesture. He was eternally grateful.

\--

The night went on as normally as the rest of today, for a few hours. The rest of any other day would be just as usual.

The only difference was his gift, and he was very thankful for it.

His birthday was appreciated, he was so thankful, for that.. it was so sweet of his friends, to do.

Marco quickly slid out of his sweaty clothing from the day, changing into something a little more comfortable.

Some beige trousers and a pale gray shirt, both comfortable and easy to navigate in, he was enjoying his time.

After visiting the bathhouse briefly, and taking time to relax in the warm water, he returned to his bed.

Flopping down into it, he laid his wet hair on his flat pillow, reaching over to his bedside table to grab his book. Wrapping his fingers around the binding, he pulled the book to his side to look through again. Ponder the possibilities for.

He blinked, hearing a small ping on the floor below, and he leaned over the side of the bed to pick up the makeshift charcoal pencil they'd made him.

In reaching for it, Marco caught sight of another something. He was unsure of what he was supposed to do other than reach for it. So, he did.

It took a few tries to get, but soon he was able to pick up a little slip of what seemed to be paper, it was ripped on one end.

It had been resting on the top of the notebook, meaning it must've been placed there while he was in the bathhouse. Who came into his room?

Turning it over, he saw a few little messy scratches into it. He hummed as he read it over.

Now, Marco couldn't read, but there were a few words and things he saw everyday.

One thing he saw everyday was the schedule, he recognized the times clearly. This was saying 2000 hrs, which was a time he knew.

Secondly, there was a place he knew, a title he saw in a sign hung above yhe enterance everyday, when walking into it multiple times.

This was crafted just well enough for anyone in the 104, literate or otherwise, to understand. Simply, go to the mess hall, at 2000 hours.

What time was it?

Marco's hazel eyes widened at the corners in concern, quickly jumping to his feet and jogging out of the door, figuring he had to meet there as soon as possible.

But he looped back to his room to grab his charcoal and book, of course, before going.

The path to the mess hall was one that he took many times a day, he didn't have to think over anything other than what may be awaiting him, as he made his way there.

The walk was cool on his feet, the wood of the floor bringing chills up his spine, and making the closely cut hairs on the back of his neck stand.

He trekked to the familiar hall, met with a dim light, of the few torches and such that usually lit this room.

Nobody was usually here so late, they were expected to be getting ready for the night of sleep.

Holding true to that, barely anyone was here. Barely - Still, a few people remained, all dealing with their own things. There were two people seated together, though without food, making chatter in the corner with one another. There was someone seated by themself in another seat, intently thinking to themself, it seemed to look like.

Then, there was him.

Marco grinned wide, joy taking over his face as he walked closer to take the sight in completely and fully.

There was one end of one of the many benches, with a small set up.

There were two trays, one he recognized well. They were the same dull trays that they got temporarily their food on every meal, before returning. 

Both trays had full rations on, pieces of bread and a bowl of a light colored stew. What was in it, he couldn't quite make out, but he swore he saw the orange of a carrot.

There was a man seated at the table, across from the other, spot, but his food also untouched.

There was a paper on the table, folded. Marco questioned to take it and open it up, looking inside. But for what writing he could and couldn't understand, he could see his name written carefully across the front, "Marco Bott".

His gentle eyes matched a fragile grip, as he picked it up carefully, and unfolded it silently as he could manage.

Before reading it he wanted to raise his eyes to the man in front of him, as he took his seat across from the man, while holding the paper and his new book.

Jean was a person he recognized clearly, and fully. The back of his soft neck was showing, slumped forward, over the wooden table.

If he was awake; Marco would've chuckled and reminded him not to mean on the table, he'd get splinters. But right know he too in the picture in front of him with the brightest smile on his freckled cheeks. 

He watched his closest friend across the table, and if he scooted over one way he could see Jean's eyes closed, hiding under his arm. His body slowly raised as he breathed deep, relaxed breaths, then those shoulders slumped once again downward.

He must be so late.. Jean must've been waiting to talk to him and see him so long, to fall asleep.

Marco felt bad.. but the warmth which swelled in his bosom was enough to soothe that.

Turning his attention to the piece of paper in hand he had almost forgot, he slowly pushed the two sides apart to unfold it, and read what it said inside.

There was no more writing for him to decipher, but a little doodle, it was pretty endearing. The note had a little drawing of something he'd seen in storybooks as a kid, it was a cake, circular with little candles coming out of the top, it wasnt colored but the cake was colored in with the utensil, probably more charcoal.

A little birthday cake, huh? If Jean was up, would be have given it to him?

Marco chuckled quietly behind his hand, looking back to sleepy Jean; who had yet to move.

It was a few seconds of this very prized moment, taking in this full picture, until Marco realized the true meaning of this book that Armin and Eren got him.

Sliding the book in front of him, and flipping to the first of pages, he started to trace this gorgeous sight, tucking the little cake doodle into the page to keep.

He never wanted to lose sight of this moment, and of those that had made it any amazing time - He had never had a better birthday.

**Author's Note:**

> He's such a special boy,, I hope he had really good birthdays in his time


End file.
